Morning links: Predicting Hawks' QB in 2011

In this audio link from Tuesday, ESPN NFL analyst Tim Hasselbeck joined Brock Huard and Mike Salk of ESPN 710 Seattle for an interesting conversation on the Seattle Seahawks quarterback situation, including where his brother Matt Hasselbeck will wind up.

So who will be Seattle’s quarterback this season?

“Truth be told, I really don’t know,” Tim Hasselbeck said. “To be honest with you, I think that if it’s not Matthew, it’s Charlie Whitehurst. Just when you look at it, there’s way too many people acting like the Kevin Kolb to Arizona deal is done. And people who really don’t have a reason to put their neck out on it, but everyone has pretty much said this thing is done. It’s already been agreed upon, and it’s going to happen.

“So if Kevin Kolb goes to Arizona, then who is going to Seattle? So you just put yourself in the position of the Seahawks. You’re options are possibly Carson Palmer, who by the way is due to make an average of $11 million per year over the next three years. So you’re talking about $35 million I believe over the next three years. And you have to give something up to get him, for a guy who has not played better than Matthew. So that would be the best next option, and it sounds like a bad option to me

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“The next option would be Kyle Orton. Listen, I think Kyle Orton is one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the NFL. But you’re talking about Darrell Bevell’s system, and at that point I would say that I don’t know if Kyle Orton is a good fit for that. And so I don’t know if you have a better option. Matthew might have a better option, but I know that all things being equal, he would like to be in Seattle.”

At the end of the conversation, Tim Hasselbeck was asked if his brother was given the option of a one year, $8 million deal in Seattle compared to a two-year, $16 million deal in Tennessee, where will he be?

“I think he’d be in a Titans’ uniform,” Tim Hasselbeck said. “Listen, it wouldn’t be his first choice, but at the same time it doesn’t make any sense (not to take Tennessee’s offer). Listen, here’s what I know. I think that John Clayton has reported that Matthew was offered a one year, $7 million deal. People were saying, ‘Aww man, he’s not worth $7 million dollars.’ Alex Smith is going to get a one-year, $5 million dollar deal. How does that make sense?”

According to Forbes Magazine, the Seahawks are the 25th most valuable sports franchise in the world, at $989 million. Eight of the top 12 teams are from NFL, and all 32 teams from the league made the list.

Pro Football Focus ranks Marshawn Lynch and Leon Washington among the top 10 most elusive running backs in the last three years.

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. takes a closer look at the NFC West tight ends. Here’s what he has to say about Seattle. (You have to have ESPN Insider privileges to view the article)Williamsson: “Because the Seahawks' offensive line played so poorly last season, it was difficult to analyze what Seattle has at this position. The tight ends were blocking more than anyone in the organization would have liked. Seattle has dedicated a lot of resources to the front five this offseason, though, so we might just see something from John Carlson or Cameron Morrah.

“Carlson was a force during his rookie season and again in his second year, but he has fallen off the map recently. He was blocking quite a bit, but the Seahawks still rarely looked his way. Carlson also struggles with leverage and power to move bodies. He did battle some injuries last year and could improve for a rebound season. He did average more than 600 yards and six touchdowns over his first two seasons in the league. It also must be noted, though, that Carlson sustained a brutal concussion during Seattle's playoff loss to the Bears.

“Morrah interests me. I see him as someone who could make a real impact in this offense. He can run and get downfield, and he has the natural ability you look for in a pass-catching tight end. He, too, was asked to pass block more often than the ideal last season, but he shuffles his feet well and gives excellent effort. Morrah might be an ascending player with some explosive qualities, though he did have only nine receptions last season."

Andrew Brandt of the National Football Post explains the latest sticking point between players and owners – the rookie wage scale and whether or not contracts will be four or five years for first-round picks. The players are agreeable to a fifth year, but want owners to pay a higher cost for rookies hitting free agency a year later.

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